The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-22
SOME DEMOCRATIC INFORMATION.

| question of Senator Voorhees, nomination
for Governor next year. The Michigan City
Dispatch pronounced the proposition non
sensical, from the fact that Mr.. Voorhees,
certainly would not accept the nomination.
The Courier agrees with the Dispatch, that
the proposition is nonsensical, but for diff
ferent reason. The Courier's reason is, in
substance that Mr.. Voorhees, is not repre-
sentative leader of his party any important
question which parties divide, and there
fore not fit candidate. 1t says his candidacy
''would simply paralyze the efforts and blight
the hopes of every sincere Democrat in Indi-
ana, and his victory his defeat would leave
the party where it was before-an aggrega-
ton of aimlesss elements, in possession of the
Offices if he should win, without them if he
should lose the battle" This is a pretty fair
definition of the personal attitude of the
1 Democratic party and of the quality of Sem
ator Voorhees, craftsmanship. There
many persons in the party who have fixed
| principles and well-defined convictions
different issues and questions of public policy,
| but the party as whole has not There is
respectable minority of persons in the Demo
cratic party who honest believers in civil
service reform and in making public Offices
| something more than reward for partisan
| services. Mr.. Voorhees, is not Of these
| There are other Democrats who have intelli-
| gent views and clear convictions in
| regard to revision and reform
Of Mr. ia
| not of these The most numerous, active,
noisy and aggressive element in the Demo
cratic party, the element that controls it
without principles and directs it without con-
victions, running its course from nowhere to
nowhere, is the element that believes that
politics is game in which the offices are the
stakes and which has no other political maxim
or rallying cry but 'to the victors belong the
spoils." Mr. Voorhees, does represent these.
There is reason enough, therefore, why
in politics than mere scramble after spoils
should not favor Mr. Voorhees, candidacy
for Governor or any other high Office. The
Courier might have added, and doubt it
would if its spirit of independence and verac-
ity were just little stronger, that Mr.. Voor-
hees's recent public Endorsement of the tally
sheet forgers and of Sim Coy by name, clear
ly separates him from the honest self respect
ing men of his party and makes him unavail-
able as a candidate for any popular office. No
man can be elected Governor of Indiana who
has ostentatiously allied himself with this
gang and actually gone out of his way to as
sist in whitewashing them. As to the state
ment that Mr.. Voorhees, would not accept the
nomination for Governor, the Courier thinks
it not true On this point it says:
There are strong indications that he would
be glad to have the honor thrust upon him.
His election to that Office would, of course,
involve his resignation United States |
Senator, but it would add two years more to |
his public service, because his term as Senator |
will end on March 4, 1891, while if he should |
be elected Governor next year, his term of |
Office would not expire until the second Mon !
day of January, 1893. 1t would simply be |
question to whether Mr.. Voorhees, would |
perfer four years as Governor of the State to |
two years in the Senate and when it is con- |
sidered that he will have acquired all of the |
Senatorial honors reasonably to be expected |
before the next State election, and also that |
he has never been Governor of the State, and |
inability ever to be reelected to the Senate, |
we believe he would gladly accept the guher- |
Material nomination. This superstition is |
strengthened by the we'll known fact that he |
was recently candidate for the nomination |
in 1884 and only prevented from allow |
ing his name to go before the convention by |
the firm determination of Governor Gray's |
supporters, who went TO Mr.. Voorhees, the |
night before the convention organized and |
told him plainly that if he attempted to de- |
f114 Of
would see that ne was defeated for reelection
to the Senate at the next meeting of the
Legislature. Our Michigan City contemporary |
may not have been aware of this fact, but it
is true history and can be easily substantiated |
if it cares to investigate the matter"
This information coming from within the
Democratic party is of interest. 1t shows
that the class of Democrats for whom the
Courier speaks regards Mr.. Voorhees, Sena-
torial career as limited by his present term.
With this view the Journal agrees, though |
perhaps not for the same reason. We think
the days of the ascendency of the Democratic
party in Indiana numbered, and that
neither Mr.. Voorhees, any other Dem ocrat
will can be elected Senator at the expira-
ton of his term. However that may be, we
agree with the Courier that the same reasons
which make Mr. Voorhees, unavailable as a
candidate for Governor would prevent his re-
election to the Senate. By that time the
Democratic party in Indiana will have dis
covered the necessity of leaders. The
Courier's statement relative to Mr.. Voorhees,
attempt to capture the gubernatorial NOM
ination in 1884 and how it was defeated is an
interesting contribution to the truth of his
tory. 1t may have been the beginning or
only phase of the hostility between Gov
ernor Gray and Senator Voorhees,, already
quite pronounced and likely to be intensified
oy the fact that they are opposed to each